Office tool

ABSTRACT

An improved office tool for use with a universal storage system that includes a magnetic holding means integrated with the improved office tool and a universal storage device. The magnetic holding means is applied to or incorporated into the office tool, which is then stored on the universal storage device. The universal storage device includes a mounting surface of magnetically attractive material and securely holds the office tool in place, yet readily releases it when it is needed. The magnetic holding means is well-suited for mounting all types of conventional self-inking, flash inked, pre-inked, as well as wood-handled stamps, of any size, weight and shape, as well as other office and household articles and tools.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/978,164,filed Oct. 30, 2004 and currently pending, entitled Universal StorageSystem For Office Tools, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

U.S. Ser. No. 10/978,164 is in turn a continuation in part of U.S. Ser.No. 10/692,710, filed on Oct. 23, 2003 and since abandoned, which is inturn a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/615,578, filed on Jul.8, 2003 and since abandoned, which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to office tools. More particularly, theinvention relates to an improved office tool suitably adapted to be usedwith a system of magnetically storing and organizing office stamps andother tools.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typically, when the term “stamp” or “rubber stamp” is used today toreference a marking device, it brings to mind a wood-handled rubberstamp that requires a remote pad in order to create an imprint. Themajority of conventional holders for the storage of wood-handled stampstook advantage of the universal commonality in the wood handle shape andsuspended the stamps from clips or hooks on racks. Another method ofstorage such wood-handled stamps used conventional magnets to mount thestamps on a stamp rack. One such method of storing wood-handled stampswith the use of a magnet is disclosed by Sinkiewicz (U.S. Pat. No.2,996,004; 1961), in which a permanent magnet is imbedded into the rearof the wooden handle or fastened to a bracket of non-magnetic material,which is then fastened to the stamp between the handle and stamp base orto the stamp base proper by means of screws or the like. Carter (U.S.Pat. No. 3,314,634; 1967) disclosed a related method in which aremovable strip of commonly available permanent magnetic material wasapplied to the rear of the stamp.

Both methods included the use of a storage holding strip that hadmagnetically attractive material applied to the face of the strip. Thestrip was typically fastened to a vertical surface by mechanicalfasteners and the stamps held in place by the magnetic force exerted onthe magnetically attractive material. These methods had a disadvantagein that only relatively lightweight wood-handled stamps can be mountedin this manner. This is because the permanent magnets that wereavailable in the 1960s were low energy magnets. The magnets were also,of course, limited in size, because they had to fit on the wood-handledstamp, without interfering with its operation. Because the magnets weresmall and low energy products, the load they could reliably secure wascorrespondingly small.

Another variation of the magnetic methods described above was in theform of a “kit” which comprised a stamp pad mounted to a base and aroundwhich existed by means of a hinged arrangement the same magneticallyattractive material formed into a type of cover that acted as a holdingarea for the stamps. This kit has the disadvantage of the other magneticmethods described above, but it also has the disadvantage of occupyingvaluable desk space, while storing relatively few stamps.

In the late 1960s, an “inked” type of stamp emerged onto the marketplace that combined the stamp and ink into a single unit, eliminatingthe need for an ink pad. Today, the market is almost exclusivelydominated by such inked stamps, which include types of stamps that arereferred to as “self-inking”, “flash inked”, “pre-inked”, etc., althougholder wood-handled stamps remain in use. This shift from traditionalwood-handled stamps to inked stamps created a need for a storage devicecapable of efficiently storing the various conventional types of stampsin use today.

The functional changes of the inked stamps resulted in changes to theconventional form, weight and construction materials used for officestamps. Most inked stamps have a bulky rectangular shape, without ahandle from which to suspend the stamp from a rack. The self-inking typeof inked stamps, for example, includes an inkpad within the stamphousing, and requires that the stamp rotate through an inking processbefore it is operational. Consequently, the stamp is significantlyheavier and the stamp housing significantly larger than that of awood-handled stamp that carries the same information. The known methodsof magnetically holding office stamps were inadequate with regard tothese inked stamps, primarily because the conventional magneticmaterials were not strong enough to hold the new, heavier inked stamp.

Bertoni et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,951; 2003) discloses a stamp holderthat is capable of holding a specific type of inked stamps, such asstamps having a box-like frame or case and openings on at least twoopposite ends. A disadvantage of this stamp holder is its inability tohold other types of inked stamps, such as pre-inked or flash-ink stamps,older wood-handled stamps, or other office tools. Pichler (U.S. Pat. No.6,003,686; 1999) discloses a device that holds the inked stamps, inaddition to “other office utensils”, by inserting “an attachment” in atleast one of the through-holes provided in the base of the device. The“attachment” must be uniquely adapted for each different stamp or officeutensil. In other words, each stamp or utensil mates with a particularholder. This is impractical and inefficient in terms of convenience,cost and/or time because this system locks one into using stamps andmating holders from a particular supplier or manufacturer, or requiresthat the user obtain custom-made attachments to hold stamps and/orutensils not provided with the mating holder. Furthermore, the base ofthe Pichler holder occupies more desk space than if the stamps andutensils were arranged neatly side by side on the desk, and because astamp or utensil fits only into a mating holder, the Pichler systemrequires that the user locate the mating holder for a particular stampor utensil in order to store it after use.

What is needed, therefore, is an improved office tool suitably adaptedto be used with a system of organizing and storing office stamps and/ortools that is universal in its ability to hold such stamps or tools ofvarious shapes, sizes, and weights.

Other objectives of the present invention will be readily apparent fromthe description that follows.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For the reasons cited above, it is an objective of this presentinvention to provide an improved office tool suitable for use with auniversal system of storing and organizing office stamps and/or tools ofvarious weights, shapes, and sizes. The improved office tool includes acombination of any type of inked stamp and wood-handled stamps, as wellas other types of office tools such as letter openers, pens,highlighters, paperclip containers, etc.

The objective has been achieved by providing an improved office toolsuitable for use with a universal storage system for storing andorganizing office tools. The term “inked stamp” shall include varioustypes of stamps that ink themselves, such as self-inking, flash,pre-inked, etc. The term “office stamps and tools”, shall be abbreviatedto “tools” and, as used hereinafter, shall include wood-handled stampsand various types of inked stamps, of various sizes, shapes and weights,as well as various conventional office tools and articles that aretypically used at an office desk or workstation, such as pens,highlighters, markers, scissors, staplers, letter openers, paperclipcontainers, etc.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve storage efficiency ofsmall office tools by using to advantage the vertical space that isavailable at a workstation. This is best achieved by using a magnet tomount the office tools to a magnetically attractive surface. Theimproved office tool according to the invention comprises a magneticholding means affixed to the improved office tool to be used with auniversal storage device with a mounting surface of magneticallyattractive material. The magnetic holding means includes a high-strengthpermanent magnet. A number of problems had to be resolved in order toachieve an efficient improved office tool. The first problem to solvewas the strength of the magnet. “First generation” permanent magnetsthat became available in the 1950s were made of ferrite oraluminum-nickel-cobalt (AlNiCo). These magnets had a relatively low“energy product”, that is, the density of useful magnetic energy storedin the magnet was low. They provided sufficient holding strength to holda conventional light-weight wood-handled stamp, but were not strongenough to hold a stamp or office tool that weighs, for example, one-halfpound. Stronger “second generation” permanent magnets became availablein the early 1980s, but were relatively expensive because of their useof rare-earth elements and were used primarily in military and aerospaceapplications. A “third generation” of permanent magnets was developed in1983. These third generation magnets used less costly rare earthelements and were, therefore, less expensive, and they also had a veryhigh energy product.

In addition to strength, other considerations for a suitable magnet forthe improved office tool included the relative size of the magnet and isimperviousness to oil and dirt. The magnet must be attachable to a vastarray of stamps and tools, thus, it must be relatively small and compactso that it does not interfere with the use or operation of the tool towhich it is attached. The magnet should also last the lifetime of thetool to which it is attached and, therefore, must also be rugged andimpervious to dust, dirt, oils, and other contaminants that are commonlypresent in work environments. One magnet that is particularlywell-suited for use in the improved office tool is aneodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) NEO 35 magnet having an energy product ofmax. 35 BH, and available from E.A. Magnetics Inc. of Bethpage, N.Y.Neodymium is highly corrosive, so the magnet has a protective nickelcoating. Other sintered rare earth magnets, such as a Samarium Cobaltmagnet are also suitable for use within the improved office tool.

In a first configuration of the magnetic holding means, the magnet isstructurally integrated into the housing or outer surface of the tool.In a second configuration, the magnetic holding means also comprises anadhesive means for attaching the magnet to an individual office tool.Ideally, the adhesive system provides a permanent bond to the protectivenickel coating of the magnet, as well as to plastic and other materialscommonly used in the manufacture of stamps, markers, letter openers andother common office tools. The adhesive means chosen is a double-coatedacrylic foam tape that carries two dissimilar adhesives for bonding oneside of the tape to the metallic surface of the magnet and the other tothe plastic material of the tool to be mounted. A “medium surfaceenergy” acrylic adhesive is applied to one side of the tape for adheringto the improved office tool. This adhesive is particularly well-suitedfor adhering to the “hard-to-stick-to” thermoplastic materials typicallyused in the housings of the inked stamps. A “high surface energy”acrylic adhesive, particularly designed to adhere to metal surfaces, isapplied to the other side of the foam tape, which side is applied to themagnet. The carrier for the adhesive is an acrylic foam tape that hasthe ability to conform to irregular shapes and curved contours, therebyproviding maximum surface contact of the adhesive to the respectivesurface. The tape may also be provided in various shapes and sizes, tomake it readily adaptable to the particular size and shape of the toolto which it is to be applied. Once applied to the respective surfaces,the adhesive means forms a stable long-term bond that is able towithstand continuous shear stress over time without failure. An exampleof a suitable adhesive means is the 4622 VBH™ Double Coated Acrylic FoamTape available from the 3M company. The adhesive sides of the tape areprotected by a removable sheet until the adhesive tape is applied to amagnet and/or tool.

The universal storage device used with the improved office toolaccording to the invention comprises a mounting surface ofmagnetically-attractive material and encompasses numerousconfigurations. The magnetically-attractive material is typically aferroalloy, referred to hereinafter as a ferrous material. The preferredconfiguration of the universal storage device is disclosed in U.S. Ser.No. 10/978,164, filed Oct. 30, 2004. Other configurations of universalstorage devices may also be used, provided they include a mountingsurface of magnetically-attractive material.

Other features and advantages of the present invention are describedbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional stamp that inks itself witha rare-earth-element magnet applied.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a conventional wooden handled stamp with arare-earth-element magnet applied.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one configuration of a universal storage devicewith the improved office tool attached thereto.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another configuration of a universalstorage device with the improved office tool attached thereto.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the improved office tool showing therelationship of the adhesive means to the rare-earth-element magnet andthe office tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a magnetically mountable office tool.The office tool has an outer surface constructed at least in part of aplastic material. Affixed to the office tool is a rare-earth-elementmagnet 124. The rare-earth-element magnet 124 should have holding powersufficient to support a load of at least eight ounces on a verticalsurface. The rare-earth-element magnet 124 is affixed to the office toolby an adhesive means 110, with the adhesive means 110 being suitablyadapted to provide a permanent bond simultaneously to both a metallicsurface and to a plastic surface. The adhesive means 110 forms a stablelong-term bond between the rare-earth-element magnet 124 and the officetool that is able to withstand continuous shear stress over time withoutfailure. Preferably, the adhesive means 110 is suitably adapted toconform to irregular shapes and curved contours.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the rare-earth-element magnet 124, theadhesive means 110, and the office tool 120, in relation to each other.The rare-earth-element magnet 124 must have an outer surface 128constructed at least in part of a metallic material. Therare-earth-element magnet 124 also includes a core 126, which is ahigh-strength rare-earth element magnet and, preferably, aneodymium-iron-boron magnet. The preferred outer surface 128 is a nickelcoating.

FIG. 5 also depicts a detailed view of the adhesive means 110. Theadhesive means 110 comprises three primary elements: a core 112 and twodifferent types of adhesive. One adhesive is applied to the first side114 of the core 112 and a different adhesive is applied to the secondside 116 of the core 112. The adhesive applied to the first side 114 ofthe core 112 must be suitably adapted to bond to the metallic outersurface of the rare-earth-element magnet 124. As such it is a highsurface energy acrylic adhesive designed to adhere to metal surfaces.The adhesive applied to the second side 116 of the core 112 must besuitably adapted to bond to the plastic outer surface of the office tool120. As such it is a medium surface energy acrylic adhesive designed toadhere to plastic materials. In one embodiment the adhesive means 110 isa double-coated acrylic foam tape. In another embodiment the adhesivemeans 110 may comprise one or more removable protective sheets totemporarily protect the adhesives of the first and second sides 114,116of the core 112. An example of a suitable adhesive means 110 is the 4622VBH™ Double Coated Acrylic Foam Tape manufactured by 3M.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate different types of office tools of the presentinvention. FIG. 1 depicts a conventional rectangular inked stamp 120that has been adapted with a rare-earth-element magnet according to theinvention for use with the universal storage system 1 00. FIG. 2 depictsa conventional wood-handled stamp 122 that has been similarly adaptedwith a rare-earth-element magnet according to the invention for use withthe universal storage system 100. These tools are merely illustrative ofany number of common office tools that comprise the present invention,including various types of objects, of various weights and shapes, towhich the rare-earth-element magnet 124 has been attached, such as inkedstamps, wood-handled stamps, letter openers, pens, highlighters,paperclip containers, scissors, rulers, staplers, tape dispensers, andthe like.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the universal storage system 100with which the improved office tool of the present invention is used. Inthis embodiment the universal storage system is a rotary desk holder.FIG. 3 shows a plurality of holding panels 102 that are attached to andextend radially outward from a stem 108. The stem 108 is fastened to abase 105, which includes a suitable rotating plate or mechanism thatallows the stem 108 to rotate. A mounting surface 106 is attached toopposite sides of each of the panels 102 to maximize storage efficiency.A collection of tools 120,122 is shown placed on the mounting surfaces106 of the universal storage system 100. Each mounting surface 106 isideally a strip of ferroalloy material that is permanently bonded to thepanel 102. The rare-earth-element magnets 124 (shown in dashed lines)have been applied to each tool 120,122 by simply peeling the protectivesheets away from the adhesive layers and applying the rare-earth-elementmagnets 124 to a suitable surface on the particular tool 120,122. Accessto a particular tool 120,122 stored on the universal storage system 100is quickly achieved by rotating the stem 108 until the desired tool isavailable. After using the chosen tool, it may then be returned quicklyto the same location or any other available space on the universalstorage system 100 that the user chooses, thus creating an efficientstorage system.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a universal holding system 200which is a desk-mount holder. As shown, a collection of tools 120,122that have been adapted with the rare-earth-element magnet 124 are storedon the mounting surface 106. The universal storage system 200 comprisesa base 210 and a panel 202, which may be formed of a single piece ofmaterial, as shown in FIG. 4, or be separate pieces that are fixedlyattached to each other. The underside of the base 210 includes an antislip adhesive 212 to prevent the universal storage system 200 frommoving once positioned on the desired surface. The universal storagesystem 200 is easily installed on a desktop: the user simply applies theanti-slip means 212 to the desk or table surface, or to the underside ofthe base 210 and places the universal storage system 200 onto thedesired surface. No tools are required to either install or remove theuniversal storage system 200. The anti-slip material 212 is preferably amaterial that remains flexible indefinitely and allows simple removal orrepositioning at a later date by gently lifting on one end of theuniversal storage system 200 to cleanly lift the anti-slip material 212from the surface. A suitable adhesive for this purpose is the Scotch™Clear Mounting Squares™, which is a removable adhesive.

It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merelyillustrative of the present invention. One skilled in the art maycontemplate variations in the construction of the invention withoutlimiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and asdefined by the following claims.

1. A magnetically mountable office tool comprising an office tool, saidoffice tool including a rare-earth-element magnet with holding power tosupport a load of at least eight ounces on a vertical surface; and anadhesive means for attaching said magnet to said office tool.
 2. Themagnetically mountable office tool of claim 1, wherein saidrare-earth-element magnet is a nickel-coated neodymium-iron-boron magnetwith an energy product of at least 25 BH.
 3. The magnetically mountableoffice tool of claim 1, wherein said office tool has a housing and saidrare-earth-element magnet is structurally integrated into said housing.4. The magnetically mountable office tool of claim 1, wherein saidoffice tool has an outer surface constructed at least in part of aplastic material; said rare-earth-element magnet has an outer surfaceconstructed at least in part of a metallic material; and said adhesivemeans is suitably adapted to provide a permanent bond simultaneously toboth a metallic surface and to a plastic surface.
 5. A magneticallymountable office tool comprising an office tool having an outer surfaceconstructed at least in part of a plastic material; said office toolincluding a rare-earth-element magnet with holding power to support aload of at least eight ounces on a vertical surface, saidrare-earth-element magnet having an outer surface constructed at leastin part of a metallic material; and said office tool including anadhesive means for attaching said rare-earth-element magnet to saidoffice tool, said adhesive means being suitably adapted to provide apermanent bond simultaneously to both a metallic surface and to aplastic surface, said adhesive means comprising a double-coated acrylicfoam tape having a first side and a second side, said tape carrying twodissimilar adhesives, with the adhesive for bonding the first side ofthe tape to the metallic outer surface of the magnet being a highsurface energy acrylic adhesive designed to adhere to metal surfaces,and the adhesive for bonding the second side of the tape to the plasticouter surface of the office tool being a medium surface energy acrylicadhesive designed to adhere to plastic materials, with the adhesivemeans forming a stable long-term bond between the magnet and the officetool that is able to withstand continuous shear stress over time withoutfailure, and with the double-coated acrylic foam tape being suitablyadapted to conform to irregular shapes and curved contours.
 6. Themagnetically mountable office tool of claim 1 comprising an office toolfrom the following group: inked stamp, wood-handled stamp, letteropener, pen, highlighter, paperclip container, scissors, ruler, stapler,and tape dispenser.
 7. The magnetically mountable office tool of claim 5comprising an office tool from the following group: inked stamp,wood-handled stamp, letter opener, pen, highlighter, paperclipcontainer, scissors, ruler, stapler, and tape dispenser.